The Joe Harasymiak era of UMass football is here at last as the Minutemen will host Temple on Saturday afternoon in their season opener at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.
It’ll be UMass’ first meeting with the Owls since 2022 (a 28-0 loss) and only the fourth in program history. The Minutemen have never beaten Temple, but following four consecutive 3-9 seasons, the Owls will have their work cut out for them in their first appearance in the Pioneer Valley (the previous three games were either in Philadelphia or at Gillette Stadium).
Saturday’s Week 1 battle will feature squads that resemble two sides of the same coin. Both brought in new head coaches for the 2025 season (Harasymiak with UMass and K.C. Keeler with Temple), both rosters saw a heap of turnover and, perhaps most importantly, both will be looking to prove their doubters wrong after years of frustration.
“It’s interesting, they’re all new,” Harasymiak said regarding the Owls during his media availability on Monday. “Coach Keeler, just from his background, certainly a guy that wins everywhere he’s been. He’ll have them ready, he’ll have them prepared and he’s been doing it for a really, really long time.
“All new coaches [at Temple] as well, just like here,” Harasymiak continued. “It’s exciting. I know from [Keeler’s] reputation that they’ll be ready to go and we better be ready to go on our end.”
Keeler’s coaching resume is highlighted by an FCS national championship and perfect 10-0 record in 2021 as Sam Houston State’s skipper, and a Division I-AA national championship with Delaware in 2003.
Keeler has compiled a 271-112-1 record, however his post with Temple marks the Emmaus, Pennsylvania native’s first coaching gig at the FBS level.
“Coach Keeler, just from his background, certainly a guy that wins everywhere he’s been.”
JOE HARASYMIAK on new temple coach k.C. keeler
Regardless of Keeler’s credentials, Harasymiak is focused on getting his group prepared to expect the unexpected.
“The big message for us is we got to control what we can control,” Harasymiak said. “I think from my own experience, good and bad, the first game is usually looking back on it, you got to be really good at what you do. That’s why you have rules in your offense, defense and special teams. There’s going to be stuff that they do that we don’t know, we didn’t practice, we don’t prepare for, but our rules and the ways we teach have to overcome that at that point.”
Like the Minutemen, the Owls had multiple quarterbacks compete for the starting job during preseason camp, yet unlike UMass, Keeler did not announce who won the role. Harasymiak revealed Utah transfer Brandon Rose beat out Yale transfer Grant Jordan and returner A.J. Hairston last week, as UMass’ first QB on the depth chart.
Evan Simon threw for more than 2,000 yards under center for Temple in 2024, but Oregon State transfer Gevani McCoy is more of a dual-threat QB as the former Beaver totaled eight touchdowns in 10 games played.
“I was with Evan at Rutgers,” Harasymiak said. “Unbelievable person, great young man, always enjoyed my time competing with him in practice. McCoy, the other guy, I know of him a little bit, through some connections when he was in the FCS, then he moved up. Certainly, they’re going to have their plan. I’m sure they might have different plays for each guy, but that’s why I think it comes back to us being prepared and especially defensively, having rules for our guys.”
The running game will likely be the Owls’ strength as returner Terrez Worthy rushed for 425 yards and nine touchdowns last year, however Jay Ducker followed Keeler to Temple from Sam Houston and will be the top option in the Owls’ backfield.
Antonio Jones will serve as Temple’s most experienced pass-catcher.
On the defensive side, the Owls will strive to take significant steps forward after finishing with the third-worst run defense in the nation. Their biggest addition is a familiar face in former Minuteman linebacker Jalen Stewart.
Stewart, who racked up 77 tackles with UMass in 2024, will replace Tyquan King, who bolted for UConn in the portal.
In terms of focal points for the Minutemen, Harasymiak boiled it down to four areas of the game that’ll likely decide Saturday’s winner.
“This game is going to come down to the ball, turnover margin, explosive plays and penalties,” Harasymiak said. “The first five FBS games on Saturday (August 23), it was 5-0.”
This weekend’s game will also serve has a homecoming for Temple defensive coordinator/safeties coach Brian Smith. Smith starred for the Minutemen as a player from 1997-2000, then briefly coached at UMass from 2004-06.
As far as the Minutemen coaching staff goes, Harasymiak divulged that both Mike Bajakian and Jared Keyte — the offensive and defensive coordinators — will be inside the press box for Saturday’s action.
When asked how involved he’ll be in play-calling responsibilities on the defensive side, specifically, Harasymiak declined to answer, but expressed confidence in Keyte and his entire defensive coaching personnel.
“Coach Keyte is someone that I trust,” Harasymiak said. “We’ve been together a long time. He was one of the first calls I made to come here. My full trust is in him, but certainly I know how I am. At some point we’ll have some conversations, good, bad, ugly, whatever it is and we’ll go from there.”
Keyte has worked alongside Harasymiak at both Maine and most recently, Rutgers, the past two seasons. Harsymiak has extensive experience coaching defense as nearly all of his coaching posts began on the defensive side, including the previous six years at Minnesota, then the Scarlet Knights.
Kickoff at McGuirk is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The game is available to stream through ESPN-Plus.